The offer is available to anyone who pays for an annual subscription to Office 365 Home Premium or Office 365 University before 28 September. Sign in to Office and you get a code to use on your Xbox 360 or at Xbox.com to claim your year's free gaming goodness.

If you don't have an Xbox but you have bought Office, you can unlock the bestest buddy achievement by giving your code to an Xbox-equipped acquaintance.

The deal is available in selected countries including the UK, as well as Ireland, France, and Germany. It's open to people in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but not the US.

Xbox Live gives you access to extra content for your games as well as online multiplayer features. It usually costs £40 for a year of homophobic abuse screamed at you by a sexually-inexperienced teenager in Idaho, but now that will cost you nothing when you drop £60 on Office 365 University or £80 on Office 365 Home Premium. Office includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote.

For the latest gaming news, reviews and videos -- including the best of San Diego Comic-Con -- check out our console-loving compadres at GameSpot. Is the Xbox the best console or is PlayStation the place to be? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or do the business on our always-pleasurable Facebook page.

About the author

Rich Trenholm is a senior editor at CNET where he covers everything from phones to bionic implants. Based in London since 2007, he has travelled the world seeking out the latest and best consumer technology for your enjoyment.
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